Gas generator



U. L. JONES GAS GENERATORv Jan. 16, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 26, 1945 125. ffl- .5

- U. L. cfa/76S, Q4/

Jan. i6, 1945a u. l. JONES GAS GENERATOR- Filed Jan. 2e. 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lvwwvtO/b (f. l Jones,

Patented Jan. 16, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT -OFFICE GAS GENERATOR U. L. Jones, Otis, Kans.

Application January 26, 1943, Serial No. 473,647

l Claim.

This invention relates to an acetylene gas generator especially adapted for supplying acetylene gas for welding purposes, and has for the primary object the provision of a device o-f this character which will automatically replenish the supply of gas as used and may `be rendered inoperative when desired.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a construction which will permit various parts of the device to be easily adjusted, examined and repaired when need therefor may occur, the construction being compact permits the device to be handled and moved from place to place with ease. With these and other objects in View as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a gas generator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating a ball and socket connection employed in a valve rod of the device.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical 'sectional tube I0 extends through the apex of the subt stantially conical shaped upper end of the tank and is integral therewith. The tube I0 depends downwardly in the tank and through a centrally arranged opening provided in the partition 8 and terminates a short distance b elow the partition. The upper end of the tube I0 outwardly of the tank is iiared to form an attaching flange II. The partition B divides the tank into a gas chamber I2 and a liquid chamber I3, the tube I0 having direct communication with the liquid 65 chamber for discharging therein carbide or equivalent material supplied from a hopper I4.

The carbide or similar material discharged into the liquid will generate gas which may readily pass to the gas chamber I2 by way of the gas openings 9. Water 'or similar liquid may be dispensed into the liquid chamber I3 by way of a filling spout I5 provided with a cutoff valve I6 and a funnel shaped liquid receiving end I'I.

For carrying off sludge and other material from the liquid chamber an outlet pipe .I8 connects with said liquid chamber adjacent the bottom wall S and is provided with a cutoff valve I9;

The hopper I4 is provided with a discharge` neck 20 of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the tube I0 and is provided with an attaching ange 2l ,which rests on the ange Il and is detachably secured thereto by fasteners 22.

Provided in the hopper I4 and extending into the discharge neck thereof and also into the tube I0 is a sleeve 23, the upper end of which is ilared to form a valve seat 24 and the lower end forms a valve seat 25. By having the upper end flared it will permit carbide to readily pass through the sleeve 23 when the seats 24 and 25 are disengaged by valve elements 26 and 21 connected together by a valve rod 28. The valve elements 2S and 21 are of substantially conical shape and are arranged in opposed relation to alternatingly engage the seats. Either of the valve elements 26 or 21 will act to cut off the supply of carbide to the liquid chamber I3 when engaged with their respective seats.

The hopper I4 may be supplied with carbide through a neck 29 normally closed by a removable cap 30.

A sectional diaphragm housing 3| is mounted on the hopper and is in direct communication therewith by a sleeve 32 which terminates a limited distance above the valve seat 24. A diaphragm 33 is mounted in the housing 3l and is held in place by the fastener 34 employed for securing the sections of the diaphragm housing together.

The valve rod 28 extends through the sleeve 32 and is secured to the diaphragm and outwardly through a sleeve 32 threaded in the diaphragm housing 3l and is provided with screw threads to receive a nut 35 provided with a finger piece 36. Interposed between the sleeve 32 and the diaphragm is a coil spring 31 to resist the movement of the diaphragm against gas pressure. The tension of the spring may be varied by adjusting the sleeve 32 in the housing 3l and consequently regulate the action of the diaphragm under the vreaching' the gas chamber |25.

influence of gas pressure. By adjusting the nut 35 on the rod 23 the valve element 21 may be moved into a seated position to render the device inoperative by completely cutting 01T the supply of carbide to the liquid chamber I3.

The valve rod 28 is composed of sections connected by a ball and socket joint 31', the purpose of which is to allow the lower section carrying the valve element to move relative to the upper section and thus permitthe valvel element to readily adjust itself to the seat. The tube 32 extending downwardly over a major portion of the valve rod 28 relieves the latter from the weight of the carbide in the hopper thereon.

The gas chamber of the tank -5 is equipped. with a pressure gauge 38 and a safety valve 39'. The safety valve 39 includesaseat 40 engaged by a plate 4I under the influence 0f springs 4-2 mounted on rods 44 carried by a flange 45 of the attachingneck? of the valve; threaded thereon nuts 46S for'the purpose of vary'. ing the action of the springs on' thev valvel plate 4|- and thereby provide an adjustment. for the safety valveV to operate underl diiharentgas.` pressures.

An outlet gas pipe'l 4.1.l provided with a. check valve 48 is connectedv withl thel gas chamber l2 and with anV auxiliary chamber or tank 49l in which is located water' or some other liquid, as shown at 5U. The gas pipe: 4'1' connects with the chamber 49 above the liquid. A gas feed pipe 5I `extends into the chamber 49' and terminates below the liquid and. is equipped with a check valve 52v and' acutoff valve 53. Liquid may be placed' in the' chamber' 49 by way of a neck 54 whena cap 55 thereof is removed. The liquid may be drainedv from the chamber' 49 by a valve 5B'. The gas used from this device must pass through the liquid 50 and should a backfirel occur in the pipe 5l` from the device to which'` the outlet pipe -5l is connected, the flame will be extinguishe'd by the liquid 50- and' be prevented. from Also the check valves 52 and 48 will prevent back' pressure that may be created by a backfire or flashfrom reach.. ingthe gas' chamber I 2'.

To render the device inoperative or the movement of carbide' from the hopper I4 into the gas generating chamber I3, the nut 35 may be turned on' the valve rod to seat the valve element 21 against the valve seat` 25. With the device thus adjusted it may be carried from one place to another without danger of having gas generated therein. To render the device operative, the nut 35 is adjusted on the valve rod 28 so that the valves 26 and 21 become positioned, as shown in Figure 2, the carbide may then flow into the generatingV chamber I3' and Contact the liquid therein turning into gas which rises into the gas chamber aswell as the tube I0 and acts on the diaphragm. When the gas pressure is' strong enough to move the diaphragm upwardly it brings about seating of the valve element 21 with the seat 25 and cuts off the flow of carbide to the liquid, thereby stopping the generation of gas. However, when the pressure of the gas falls the diaphragm under the action of the spring 31 unseats the valve element 21, again allowing carbide to low into the liquid for the generation of further gas.

Should the valve rod 28 break or the diaphragm, the valve 26 will gravitate into engagement with the seat 24 and cut off communication of the hopper I4 with the gas generating chamber, thereby rendering the device inoperative should a defect occur.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the device is extremely compact so that it may be conveniently handled for movement from one place to another and that the various parts can be. separated for inspection and adjustment and repairswhen necessary. Also, it will be seen that the cleaning of the device may be readily carried out.

Should the deviceI be moved while in operation of. generating gas the tube I0 will act tov prevent the liquid from splashing against the valve seat and. reaching carbidewithin the hopper.

While I have shown andv described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and` arrangement of parts' may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

Ina gas generator, a uid tank, a tube extending into the tank and forming an integral part thereof, the upper end of the tube projecting above the tank and formed with a flange a material hopper including oppositely arranged integrally connected conical shaped portions and a discharge neck integral with one of said portions and having a ilange detachably connected to the flange of the tube, a sleeve` extending through the other portion of the hopper and secured thereto, a second sleeve in. the neckof the hopper aligning with the rst sleeve and extending into f the tube and havingv a flared upper end formed on the hopper and providing a valve seat, a valve for said seat and including a threaded stem, a second valve on the lower end of the stem and adapted for seating againstv the lower end of said second sleeve a sectional diaphragm housing forming an integral part of the hopper and the second sleeve and havingl the stem extending therethrough, a diaphragm secured to the housing and to the stem, a bushing receiving the stem i and threaded in the housing, a coil spring on the stem andbearing against the diaphragm and the bushing, said bushing providing an adjusting medium for the spring to vary its action on the diaphragm, and a manually operated nut engaging the bushing and threaded on said stem exteri-orly of the housing.

U. L. JONES. 

